GEA Develops Integrated Lautering Approach for High-Gravity Wort in SUD-2030 Research Project

Bavarian Minister-President Dr. Markus Söder and Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger with representatives of the companies that received funding decisions from the Bavarian Transformation Fund at the Prinz-Carl-Palais in Munich on July 16, 2026. Jens Neidhardt and Dr. Daniel Heller accepted the funding decision for the SUD-2030 research project. Photo: Bavarian State Chancellery

(IN BRIEF) GEA is developing an integrated approach to high-gravity wort production through the SUD-2030 research project, which brings milling, mashing and lautering together as one connected system instead of optimising each process separately. The project aims to enable higher wort concentrations, helping breweries reduce water and energy use while supporting more compact and cost-effective brewhouse designs. The work will include laboratory research, pilot trials and near-industrial demonstrator testing. The Free State of Bavaria is supporting the project through its transformation fund. GEA is carrying out the work at its Kitzingen site in cooperation with Bavarian research partners, including the Technical University of Munich.

(PRESS RELEASE) DÜSSELDORF, 17-Jul-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — GEA is developing a new integrated approach to high-gravity wort production through the SUD-2030 research project, bringing milling, mashing and lautering together as one connected system for the first time.

The project aims to support higher wort concentrations and enable more resource-efficient, compact and cost-effective brewhouse concepts for breweries.

The initiative is being supported by the Free State of Bavaria through its transformation fund. The funding decision was presented on 16 July 2026 at the Prinz-Carl-Palais in Munich, where Bavarian Minister-President Dr Markus Söder and Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger met representatives of companies receiving support from the Bavarian Transformation Fund. Jens Neidhardt and Dr Daniel Heller accepted the funding decision for GEA’s SUD-2030 project.

Higher wort concentrations are seen as an important way to improve energy efficiency and sustainability in brewhouses. More concentrated wort means less water needs to be heated, cooled or treated during production, helping reduce energy and water consumption per unit of beer produced.

Higher gravity brewing can also make future brewhouse systems more compact and economical. However, existing lautering systems face technical and economic limits when operating at higher wort concentrations.

Through SUD-2030, GEA is addressing this challenge by treating milling, mashing and lautering as interdependent process stages rather than optimising each step separately.

Dr Daniel Heller, Project Manager Research & Development at GEA, said brewhouse performance depends on the interaction between all three processes.

“The performance of a brewhouse does not depend on lautering alone. Milling, mashing and lautering all affect one another, and that is where we see the greatest potential,” said Heller.

He added that GEA is developing the process steps as one system to give breweries more flexibility in resource use and future brewhouse design.

Lautering remains one of the most important stages in the brewhouse, with a direct impact on production times, extract yield, wort quality and overall plant design.

The SUD-2030 project will investigate how milling and mashing can create better conditions for the subsequent lautering process. The goal is to generate new knowledge for future brewhouse designs while exploring the potential for higher wort concentrations under stable process conditions.

The development programme includes laboratory studies, pilot-scale trials and a demonstrator operated under near-industrial conditions.

The project brings together GEA’s expertise in process engineering, plant development and brewing technology at its Kitzingen site, where the company has developed technologies for the international brewing industry for many decades.

Jens Neidhardt, Managing Director of GEA Liquid Technologies, said the company welcomes the support from Bavaria.

“It gives us the opportunity to take this research step by step from the laboratory to pilot trials and then into near-industrial testing,” said Neidhardt.

He added that the project strengthens GEA’s innovation work in Kitzingen and supports the engineering capabilities that help keep German industrial plant engineering competitive.

GEA is working with research partners in Bavaria, including the Technical University of Munich, to provide scientific support for the project.

The company intends to transfer the findings gradually into industrial applications and validate them under realistic operating conditions.

The Bavarian Transformation and Research Foundation is funding SUD-2030 through its transformation fund for Bavarian companies undergoing structural change.

About GEA

GEA is one of the world’s largest suppliers of systems and components to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.

The international technology group, founded in 1881, focuses on machinery and plants, as well as advanced process technology, components and comprehensive services. For instance, every second pharma separator for essential healthcare products such as vaccines or novel biopharmaceuticals is produced by GEA. In food, every fourth package of pasta or every third chicken nugget are processed with GEA technology.

With more than 18,000 employees, the group generated sales of about EUR 5.5 billion in more than 150 countries in the 2025 fiscal year. GEA plants, processes, components and services enhance the efficiency and sustainability of customers’ production. They contribute significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions, plastic usage and food waste. In doing so, GEA makes a key contribution toward a sustainable future, in line with the company’s purpose: ”Engineering for a better world.”

GEA is listed on the German DAX, the European STOXX® Europe 600 Index and is also a constituent of the leading sustainability indices DAX 50 ESG, MSCI Global Sustainability and Dow Jones Best-in-Class World.

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SOURCE: GEA